How to find Roof Leaks

The presence of water stains is a major sign that your roof is leaking, especially if those stains have extended right across ceilings or down walls. If left unattended, a leak can lead much larger problems, such as the onset of mould, ruined insulation, rotted window framing and floors/ceilings.

We would advise that you fix the problem as soon as possible to prevent such problems from occurring. Yet there is no need to worry, as fixing a leak in your roof is usually pretty simple; the difficult part of the process is locating the leak. The following information is designed to help you find the leak in your roof and is provide by our professional roofers:

Finding a leak in your roof

Start by inspecting the roof directly above the stains. It is worth noting that by far the most common source of roof leaks are the areas penetrated by plumbing, roof vents, dormers and chimneys and any other parts of the structure that penetrate the roof.

For this reason, it is extremely rare to find leaks that have developed in uninterrupted parts of the roofing structure, even on older roofs.

If you have access to your loft, the easiest way to find the leak, is to go up there with a torch and look for it. However, if you are unable to access your loft because you have a vaulted ceiling, you will need to get up on the roof to inspect it, although we would never recommend doing this without the proper safety equipment.

If you have inspected your loft and the source of the problem is still not apparent, go up on the roof – assuming you have a loft and have inspected it – with a garden hose and begin by soaking the roof soak the side of the chimney where the roof runs downwards first, followed by each of the other sides and top of the chimney. Have a helper go inside the house and wait for dripping water to appear.

Run the hose for several minutes until moving on to other areas of the roof, unless of course your helper sees dripping water inside, at which point they should shout to let you know if and when the drip becomes visible. This whole process can take well over an hour, so patience is a must.

At DPR Roofing Services, our leeds roofers have patience in abundance, as well as all of the necessary equipment to make the process of finding your leak and indeed repairs quick and painless. So, if you live in Leeds, call now on 0113 335 0043.